"It's expected to spawn a C8.R racing variant that could hit the track in 2019 for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) sports car championship, with an entry into the Le Mans 24 Hours during that summer."

Sounds to me like the journalist took some freedoms.
Main point for me is that the Penalties will fall for giving false data, as the BoP between Hybrid and non-Hybrid is supposed to make them "equal".

So if we see that the Non-Hybrids are able to be faster in single lap or at a certain stage of the spring, nothing will happen. If the Non-hybrids carry a consistant faster pace, then there will be penalties.

Sounds to me like the journalist took some freedoms.
Main point for me is that the Penalties will fall for giving false data, as the BoP between Hybrid and non-Hybrid is supposed to make them "equal".

So if we see that the Non-Hybrids are able to be faster in single lap or at a certain stage of the spring, nothing will happen. If the Non-hybrids carry a consistant faster pace, then there will be penalties.

A quite unlikely scenario.... but anyway it would the triumph of madness if it would happen for real.
A private lmp1 penalized because too much faster than clearly sandbagging toyotas....

"It's expected to spawn a C8.R racing variant that could hit the track in 2019 for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) sports car championship, with an entry into the Le Mans 24 Hours during that summer."